


Forelsket

by bluebismuth



Series: Reader/Self Insert Fics [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Kings AU, Non-binary character, Other, Soulmate AU, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-05 16:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13391346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebismuth/pseuds/bluebismuth
Summary: A magic user in King Jeremy's court gets a literal wake-up call as to who their soulmate is.(soulmate au where a few days before one meets their soulmate, they have dreams about their soulmate's day)(forelsket - norwegian: the euphoria that comes with falling in love)





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Waffle-o (XylB)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XylB/gifts).



_As Avery’s dreams began, they knew something was much different about this one. There were no surreal elements, no magic outside of what they knew. Just pacing through what looked to be a grand castle and low muttering. While few words, if any, were decipherable, the voice was certainly deep. Occasionally, someone in a guards’ uniform would call for the person, but be dismissed._

_When the person retreated to what looked like an office, a cold chill swept through their body._ I know who this is, _they thought._ I know this room.

Almost as if their mind backed out, Avery instantly woke up as they realized just whose life they had been living--who they had to commit to in mere days if they wanted the best love life they could get.

They sat up in bed, drawing the covers closer to them. The moon was still high in the sky, and shone down onto Avery’s bed through the window.

 _Gods, why_ him _of all people?_

\---

This is...certainly different, _Ryan thought. He wasn't anywhere that he recognized--a small room, covered in books, herbs, crystals, and spices. Everything around him hummed with magic, something he hadn't felt in a while. He could hear spells being recited, though the voice was too muffled or distant to make anything out. It definitely wasn't his own, Ryan knew that._

__

__

_His entire pace changed when his dream shifted from the small room to a far larger and more elaborate one, approaching the King of Magic himself. Although, something seemed off, as usual. As Ryan got closer, he saw that his eyes could only level to the King’s chin._

There's only one person I know who could be shorter than King Jeremy, _he thought._ And with that knowledge, he woke up again.

Ryan knew he wouldn't be getting that much sleep tonight. If nothing else, it would let him sort through the realization of who exactly his soulmate was.

\---

“I gather you didn't sleep much last night? You nearly nodded off a few times at breakfast.” 

Avery shook their head. “Just...up memorizing spells. You know how it is.” While they quietly laughed, Jeremy didn't seem too convinced.

“It's something else, isn't it?” There was a pause before they sighed in defeat, and Jeremy grinned. “Was it...y’know? The dream? You've been figuring it was coming for a while.”

They bit the inside of their cheek. When Jeremy nudged Avery with his elbow, though, they sighed. “Yes, I had the first one. But…”

“But what?” Jeremy asked. “You know who it is?”

Avery pursed their lips. “I do, but I kinda wish I didn't.” Jeremy cocked his head, waiting for them to continue. “It's…” They suddenly felt nervous, or ashamed, or…whatever it was, they knew they didn't want to say it.

Jeremy put a hand on their shoulder. “You know, you don't need to tell me if--”

“It's Ryan,” Avery interrupted. “I--King Ryan, sorry.”

“No, it's--you’re not in front of other court members, it's fine.” Jeremy let out a nervous laugh. “Are you...are you okay with that? With Ryan being your soulmate, I mean.”

They paused. _Am I okay with it?_ On one hand, he was infamous for being one of the cruelest leaders in a long rule, executing his own citizens for minor offenses while nobles and his court members were allowed to get away with nearly anything. Yet, on the other hand, Avery knew the King had been working to amend those kinds of laws--their last visit to his kingdom with Jeremy had proved that. If they could convince King Ryan that he was moving in the right direction…

“Maybe,” they finally replied. “I’ll ask for an invitation to be sent to him later today. I want to know about him more before I decide if courting is a good idea.”

Jeremy considered the plan before nodding. “If you're alright with that,” he said.

\---

After two days, the dreams still kept coming for Ryan. They were all fairly similar to the first--mostly roaming around King Jeremy’s castle--but it still made him wonder when they would meet not as an acquaintance, but as a soulmate.

He had retreated to his office after lunch, claiming he needed to check a resource production report. In actuality, Ryan needed to think about the situation.

He supposed it wasn't the worst turnout. Avery didn't necessarily hate him--at least not now. But then again, they were never exactly warm to him either. Ryan sighed and leaned back in his chair. Maybe, with the knowledge that they were soulmates, both of them could lighten up around each other instead of having frigid etiquette keep them apart.

A knock on the door startled Ryan out of his thoughts. As much as he was tempted to yell, asking who dared to disturb him, he bit his tongue and tried to calm his nerves. “What is it?” He called, a twinge of annoyance lacing his question.

The door opened to reveal a guard, clutching a letter in his hands. “Your Majesty,” he bowed before approaching Ryan further, “a letter has arrived to you from King Jeremy.”

Ryan perked up at that, and he sat up straight in his chair. “What does it say?” His tone might have sounded too nervous for the persona he built up, but it seemed like the guard was too occupied with his own nervousness to question it.

“Um…” The guard opened the envelope and cleared his throat, reading the letter through first. “The King has invited you to stay in his kingdom for two months. He also mentioned Liege Avery, but the reason why is--”

“Av--Liege Avery, you say?” The guard nodded, and Ryan rested his chin on his hand in thought. He could ask to leave tomorrow, but traveling by day would simply slow them down, and by the time he got there, there would be no time to interact with anyone. 

“W...why?” The guard asked. “Is there something wrong with--”

“No, no, of course there isn't.” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “Tell the stables to set up a carriage by this evening. I’ll leave for Jeremy’s kingdom then.”

The guard nodded and bowed again. “Of course, Your Majesty.” He exited the room, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts once again.

\---

“Coming, coming…” Avery called as they walked across their room to open the door. They blinked in surprise, seeing Jeremy on the other side. “Wait, what's wrong? Is one of the nobles sick again?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Can I come inside? I don't want rumors to get out.” Hey nodded and stepped aside to let him in. “I got word from a patrol knight that King Ryan is in the kingdom.”

Avery’s eyes widened. “Well, at least we know he got the invitation. Does no one else know he's coming?”

“Not yet. I don't want anyone else assuming.” He sighed, folding his arms. “I know they're our friends, but…”

“They're typical nobles?” Avery finished. “It's gonna be fine, Jeremy. If he’ll cause trouble, I don't have a problem with kicking him out. And if not, well, then their belief that he's still cruel won't hold water.”

Jeremy nodded, but seemed to spot something outside Avery’s window. He walked to the other side of the room, and they followed him. He pointed to a dark red carriage coming to a stop outside the castle walls.

“Fuck, he's just arriving now?”

“Seems like it,” Jeremy replied, then turned to them. “If he gets let in, we need to hurry to the entrance.” Avery nodded and was the first to head out of their room.

Their entire body trembled with nerves as they headed to the entrance, Jeremy hot on their heels. Whenever a guard would try to tell them of Ryan’s unexpected appearance, Avery would simply ignore them. There wasn't time to listen to information they already knew. 

The two made it to the castle entrance mere moments before the castle doors were opened. There, escorted by two guards, loomed King Ryan himself. Avery took a few nervous steps forward, knowing they were the reason why he was here. As Ryan walked closer, they had to tilt their head up to meet his eyes. Although, they didn't expect to see relief and warmth swimming in them…

Ryan soon dismissed the guards and looked down at Avery, a small smile on his face. Before either they or Jeremy could offer a greeting, though, Ryan dropped to one knee and took one of Avery’s hands in his, all in one swift motion. That alone sent a chill throughout their spine, but Ryan pressing a gentle, chaste kiss to the back of their hand sent goosebumps all along their arms.

“It's so nice seeing you after so long, my Liege.” Ryan stood and placed his hands on Avery’s shoulders, relaxing further when they didn't flinch away from his touch. “Should we tour the premises together? I don't believe I’ve gotten a full look at your home.”

“I--I…” Avery was still at a loss for words. _Why is one token of affection nearly turning me into a puddle?_ “Sure, that sounds...nice. Do you want to go now?”

“More than anything.”


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating for months, y'all. school's been kicking my ass and i was only able to write this chapter in relatively short bursts. hopefully i can get out the third chapter in less time than i did here.

“I’ve forgotten how...primitive the other kingdoms are.” Ryan commented, brushing a hand along the castle walls. He hadn’t spoken much since the tour started, only small hums of acknowledgement from time to time.

_Right,_ Avery thought. In an attempt to improve his kingdom, Ryan and many of his predecessors had been heavily involved with advancing the technology there. Whether or not he would ever share it was debatable, but those outside his lands knew he tended to look down on other kingdoms. “It wouldn’t fare well for you if you decide to insult King Jeremy’s methods, Your Majesty.” They gave him a sharp glare, leaving Ryan’s mouth open before he shut it.

He cleared his throat. “Are there...any other places you wish for me to see?” Avery nodded and gestured for Ryan to follow them down an adjacent hallway.

After walking up a few flights of stairs and down another corridor, they arrived in a large room with a glass dome for a roof. The walls were covered in paper charting constellations by day, and a larger star map that took up a quarter of the wall space. Desks were shoved against the wall, and a few rudimentary telescopes were stocked near the back. At the front of the room was a much more sophisticated telescope, pointed at the floor for now--it was only early afternoon at the time.

“An observatory of some kind?” Avery nodded again. Ryan stepped further into the room and took a look at one of the nightly star maps. “I figured a kingdom focused on magic wouldn't be interested in astronomy.”

“Ah, well...it’s mostly for me,” they replied. “Jeremy knows how much I’m fascinated by the night sky, so he asked for this room to be repurposed when I became an adult alongside being the head of my family. Of course, he was still a teenager then, so he had to propose the idea to his father, but--”

They stopped suddenly and looked at the floor, turning sheepish. “I--I apologize for that. You don't need to know the backstory of this place, and you probably have something better back home.”

Truth be told, Ryan never really thought about having an observatory at his castle. Something inside him told him Avery would try to argue if he tried to disagree, so he stayed silent.

Avery cleared their throat. “There's one more place, just outside the castle walls. It's a garden any magic practicer that lives or works in the castle can access, but it’s mostly me or King Jeremy that ever go there.” They clutched their hands together. “You might not want to see it, but I figured I should tell you anyway.”

“I--” Ryan held out his hand for a brief moment before lowering it. “No, no, it's fine. You can still show me.”

With a hesitant glance towards him, Avery nodded and exited the observatory down another hall.

When the two of them reached the garden, Ryan felt impressed by what he saw: a sprawling garden filled with glowing bushes, flowers that seemed to be singing, and trees that bore fruit he'd never seen in his home kingdom. He saw Avery light up and go over to a flower, only to tear it right from its stem. “Funny that it only blooms now that there's a guest over…” They muttered.

“Is...can those grow back?” Ryan pointed to the detached flower. Now that he could get a good look at it, it looked like an entire galaxy had been delicately painted onto its petals.

“Of course!” Avery tucked the flower into an inner pocket on their cloak. “I would have to uproot the whole thing if the blossoms couldn't.”

“But it's so…”

“Otherworldly beautiful?” They finished. “I know. Some other kingdoms use it for decoration, but these flowers were made to make gravity decreasing potions, and we use things for their intended purpose here.” As Avery headed back into the castle, they added, “And besides, they grow everywhere here.”

Ryan stood there for a moment, trying to grasp how such magical things could be so commonplace. He supposed he should’ve expected it--he was in Draioc, the same kingdom that embraced magic as soon as it was discovered--but was it like that everywhere outside his own home? On his visits to the other kingdoms, he had certainly seen magic, but never to the degree that it was here…

“King Ryan?” A feminine voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he was met with a shorter woman in light armor. “My liege requests that you catch up with them. There’s only so many hours in the day.”

“Oh! Oh...right, forgive me.” Ryan ducked his head and followed the woman. “May I ask for your title?”

“Lady Zita,” she replied. “I serve as Liege Avery’s personal guard. Which means I’ll have to keep an eye on you.” Zita points at him, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. “So long as you keep yourself out of trouble, you'll be fine.”

\---

The day soon ended with dinner, but Ryan and Avery had been joined by King Jeremy, Lady Zita (who still had her sword at her side), and some other faces Ryan didn’t recognize. Whether they were other nobles or simply close friends, both Avery and Jeremy seemed to know them fairly well. While conversation was...limited, he figured it was just his own presence. The rest of them would warm up to him in time.

As night came, though, Ryan felt it was time to retreat to bed. Before he could ask a guard where a guest room was, he spotted Avery walking towards the observatory. Almost by instinct, he got up and followed them, clearing his throat once he was close enough.

Avery looked startled at his appearance, but quickly calmed down. “I figured you would be getting ready for bed now,” they said.

“I would be, but we didn’t talk much at dinner, so I just wanted an update. Are there plans for tomorrow?”

They shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll see where the wind takes us.” They turned to the observatory door and fished a key from their pocket, fiddling with the lock with the key.

Ryan pursed his lips, trying to find something to say. “...May I join you in the observatory?” 

Avery stopped unlocking the door and turned to him, turned to the door, then him, then the door again. “You should go to bed,” they replied, finally unlocking the door. “It’s late. A king needs his rest.” They opened the observatory door, walked inside, and closed the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should also note that zita is heavily based on one of my friends (namely smallzita here) and you should absolutely check out her writing, even the small excerpts i've read are fantastic


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW sorry for the long wait on this. hopefully i'll update this again sooner

“...ege, my liege, wake up.”

“Hmmmnh?” Avery stirred as someone shook their shoulder, and their head rose up from the desk. They adjusted their glasses and sleepily looked around. Their eyes soon met with Zita, who looked concerned for them as usual.

Zita sighed, and patted their shoulder. “My liege, the Draiocai Council is meeting today. Should I escort you to your room so you can get dressed?”

They sat up, covering their mouth as they yawned. “No, no, I should be fine. Thank you, though.”

She nodded and bowed quickly. “I’ll head to the barracks, then. And...good luck.” She ducked out of the observatory, and Avery figured they should follow suit.

Halfway to their room, though, they encountered Ryan fiddling with the cufflinks on his sleeve. When he noticed them, his eyes lit up, then faded into confusion when he saw them disheveled and in the same clothes as yesterday.

He cleared his throat. “Good morning, my liege. Are you…?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Avery finished. “We can spend time together later, I have a Council to be at.”

“Oh?” Ryan crossed his arms. “Are you into hours-long debates with stubborn, backwards nobles who would never step foot in a peasant’s home?”

 _As if you didn’t have the same attitude some time ago,_ they thought. “Not particularly, but my presence is one of the few reasons anything gets done around here.” They bit the inside of their lip. “Then again, that might be because of my closeness to Jeremy.”

“Which I’m sure the other nobles resent you for.”

Avery shrugged. “If they do, I don’t care to do anything about it. Now, Ryan, if you’ll excuse me, I have to leave.” They ducked behind him and continued down the hallway. “You can head to the practicing fields if you get bored!” They called, before escaping into their room.

Their preparation for the day was slightly more rushed than usual, but they found enough time to put together a simple suit and throw a short cape over their shoulders, tying their long hair up in a blue ribbon--nearly indistinguishable from their hair.

As they hastily washed their face in the bathroom, Avery wondered if Ryan would have any interest in learning magic. They didn’t have any idea of how those who were capable of doing magic were treated in his kingdom, but then again, he wasn’t refusing to court them, nor was he disgusted at the prospect of them being soulmates. Avery wasn’t exactly quiet about their innate capabilities, and if they were, their hair spoke for them.

Still, they supposed they couldn’t be sure. Avery dried their face with a cloth and hung it up for the maids to take before they left their room.

\---

“Queen Lindsay is upset with us again.” 

Avery mentally rolled their eyes. It was rare for the queen in the mountains to get legitimately mad at someone. “What are her claims then, Lord Mahon?”

“She claims that some blood mages with purple and silver clothes have been causing havoc in the villages near her capital,” he replied. “As if that’s any different than the ongoings in her kingdom.”

Jeremy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The Queen knows full well that established blood mages here follow a strict code of honor, and those who deviate are punished justly.”

“Maybe if her troops are able to catch and identify them, we could look up their names in the birth archives,” Avery continued. “If they are Draiocai citizens, we should still take responsibility.”

A different noble waved their suggestion away. “Liege, keep your paranoia in your head. Purple and silver fabrics can be found anywhere in the Five Kingdoms.”

“They’re still signs of Draiocai allegiance. It wouldn’t hurt to check,” Jeremy countered. “Of course, Queen Lindsay would have to have them apprehended first…”

“She can handle it. Her kingdom’s not so chaotic that she lets criminals run wild.” Avery replied.

“Perhaps when you and His Majesty were visiting, Liege,” Lady Halloran chuckled.

Jeremy sighed. “Crime rates are easily obtainable in the library, my Lady.” Lady Halloran rolled her eyes, but didn’t say much else. “I’ll pen a letter to her after lunch and see what her options are. Either the blood mages aren’t Draioc citizens and we let their kingdoms sort it out, or they are and we handle them like how we handle such acts here.”

Avery heard another lord mumble something about them, but didn’t pay much mind to it. Everyone else seemed to be in silent agreement with Jeremy’s plan, though they could feel Lady Halloran’s eyes burning holes in their head. Even as Jeremy moved on--something about a man who killed someone’s horse out of pure spite--the feeling didn’t go away until he addressed the noble herself.

Before they knew it, the meeting had adjourned, and Avery stood up--they didn’t exactly know where they were going, but someplace where they didn’t have to be around the other nobles was good enough. They could hear someone calling their name, but they didn’t bother answering as they climbed a flight of stairs and disappeared into the library.

Even though there was no one in their line of vision, they knew someone was in the room with them. Avery followed the shuffle of pages to the reference section, where they found Ryan paging through a book on the history of magic in Draioc. They didn’t make their presence known, and as a result, it took Ryan a bit to notice and close the book.

“There you are,” he said. “You’re as silent as a creeper before it explodes. I didn’t even realize you were here until I saw the tip of a boot in the corner of my eye.”

“Is that...a good thing?” Avery replied, watching as Ryan put the book back on the shelf.

“It’s a quality you have, for better or worse. For now, though, I’ll say it’s better.” He turned to them, looking down at their small stature. “I’ve been here since you scampered off to the Council meeting. How in the gods’ graces do you handle those?”

They shook their head. “I don’t.”

Ryan opened his mouth to try and respond, but closed it when he couldn’t come up with anything. “Well, then…”

“My apologies, it’s just that sometimes it feels like Jeremy’s the only one in those meetings that actually cares about his subjects.” Avery cupped their face with their hand. “The only thing different about my upbringing from the rest of the nobility was that I had to become the head of my family far earlier than any of them.”

Ryan hummed and closed his eyes in acknowledgement. Neither of them wanted to bring up the incident that left Avery parentless as a teenager, and perhaps that was for the best.

“Well!” Avery clapped their hands together. “Let’s change the subject. What were you looking for in that book earlier?”

In an attempt to change the subject, Avery glanced at the book Ryan had in his hands. “That book is good, although fairly outdated. The author wrote it decades ago, and I’m fairly sure she’s passed.” They started walking to a shelf further into the library. “If you want something more modern, there is a book in this shelf by Fechin--”

Before they could get too far, Ryan stopped them by clasping their hand in his. Avery looked back at him, confusion written on their face. “Oh, I--I apologize, my liege.” He dropped his hand. “Miesian citizens, including myself, are--”

“Considered more affectionate than others outside their kingdom, yes,” Avery finished. “I have at least some familiarity with the customs of other kingdoms.”

“Of course, I...I probably shouldn’t have assumed you didn’t. You are the King’s head adviser, I’d imagine you’d pick up plenty with all the diplomacy meetings you attend with him.”

“Mm,” they replied. “Well, if you need anything else, I’ll be in my laboratory.”

Ryan stood up straighter. “You...have a laboratory?”

“Not one you’d be interested in,” Avery retorted. “It’s for potions. Not much fancy technology.” Before he could reply, they turned and walked out of the library.

\---

“How are things going with King Ryan, my liege?”

Avery took a quick glance at Zita before throwing another knife into a wooden target, just inches away from the center. “Well, I suppose they could be worse. We aren’t at each other’s throats, at least.” They paused, looking at their knight. “Have you still been chatting up that rogue girl?”

Zita flushed, averting her gaze. “Perhaps...but please don’t tell the king. I don’t know if he’d be happy with me doing that.”

They waved a hand nonchalantly. “You know I wouldn’t. I’m just surprised she likes you back, considering you’re the one who keeps arresting her.”

She laughed nervously. “Well, sometimes people are strange. I suppose if you can have a soulmate dream about someone who believes magic is primitive, a knight and a rogue could be together.”

“What if it was just a normal dream, though?” Avery threw the last of their knives into the target, almost touching the other knife buried in the center circle. “I’m sure our minds are capable of dreaming up being in someone else’s body outside of soulmate dreams.”

Zita hummed in thought. “I don’t doubt you, but I wouldn’t throw away the possibility of King Ryan being your soulmate just yet. Maybe he’ll warm up to magic.”

“I hope he does,” Avery replied, before hurrying off to retrieve their knives.


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow an update?? within two months of the last one??? i'm killin it
> 
> (also i slightly edited some bits of the last chapters just so everything makes more sense, check them out again if you want)

Avery had gone to bed that night worried sick about their interactions with Ryan. They knew he wasn't going to stay forever--he had a kingdom to run, for the gods’ sakes--and harsh words didn't go over well no matter which monarch they dealt with. At best, he would leave early, and at worst…

They shook their head. _Stop being so paranoid,_ they thought. _He's trying to be better. You know that._

When they got out of bed the next morning to wash and dress themselves, Avery knew they had to find Ryan and apologize to him. A knock on their bedroom door interrupted their train of thought--what they were going to address, how they would frame the apology, and secretly hoping he wouldn't leave out of disrespect. They sighed and put their circlet on, opening the door to find the visiting king himself.

“That was easier than I thought…” Avery said, and immediately clapped their hand over their mouth.

Ryan chuckled, though a bit in confusion. “And what would that be referring to, my liege?”

“I...well, I was hoping to find you before breakfast. To tell you something.”

“Oh?” He cocked his head. “We have similar tasks, then. Advisers first?”

Avery took in a breath, going over the apology they'd planned in their head. “After the events of yesterday afternoon, I wanted to apologize for being so...well, closed off these past few days. Especially the last time we saw each other. I know you're only here for a limited amount of time, and I would hate for both of us to be upset afterwards because we couldn't reach a common ground. So, I apologize for all of that. I hope you're willing to understand.”

Ryan processed everything Avery had just told him before laughing--an actual laugh this time. “My liege, none of that was an issue for me. I’m glad you're trying to make things better, though. And I did come with an apology of my own for attempting to pry so much. I’d imagine you're a closed off person, so you would have boundaries I’m...not exactly used to.”

“I…” Avery trailed off. “Well, ah...thank you for the apology? It wasn't necessary.”

“Lots of things aren't necessary, but they're nice to have.”

“I suppose.” Avery paused, looking down at their boots. “Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

Ryan’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Yes, I wanted to invite you to a meal sometime. I was going to ask yesterday if we could have breakfast alone, but as you can remember, that didn't happen. And I didn't exactly want to overwhelm the kitchen staff by making a sudden request like that. So, could we have lunch together instead?” He looked down at their hands, and Avery got the message. They held out their left hand, and Ryan clasped it in his right. “Perhaps we could get to know each other better when there aren’t several others watching.”

Avery’s cheeks turned a light pink. They figured if they wanted to grow closer to him while he was still here, this would certainly be a start. “We can, yes. If need be, you can ask the kitchen staff to make one of my favorites. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food.”

“Oh, that won't be much trouble.” Ryan waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m glad you said yes, though.” Just like the first day he was at the castle, he lifted Avery’s hand up to kiss the back of it. “I look forward to it. I’ll leave you to your own devices, then.”

As soon as he left, Avery’s blush turned even deeper. They closed their door and finished up getting themselves prepped for the day.

\---

Morning came and went--breakfast first, then some potion experiments with the ingredients Avery had collected throughout the week. Just before sunhigh, they heard a knock on their laboratory's door. 

Sure enough, when they opened it, Ryan was standing at the entrance. “I suppose you're ready for lunch?” He extended his hand to them.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Avery replied. They took off the smock they were wearing and draped it over their desk chair before taking his hand. Ryan held on as he guided them out of the laboratory and into the garden.

Despite the winter solstice coming in less than two months, the garden still looked somewhat lively. The trees were clinging to the last of their sunset-colored leaves, and some flowers still persisted despite the cold weather. Beside the foundation, Avery saw a small table with two chairs accompanying it, clearly brought out from spring when there would be luncheons in the garden. Ryan's hand shifted to their back, guiding them towards the table. He broke off from them to pull out Avery's chair for them. They were a bit confused at the chivalry, but it was likely another Miesian custom. They could let it pass.

“I hope what I asked the chefs to prepare is alright,” Ryan started. “Hopefully they knew what I meant. I'm just surprised they didn't ask for what appetizers or desserts we would want…”

“Draiocai lunches are typically just the main meal,” Avery explained. “Unless it's a banquet, but this is far from that.”

He hummed in acknowledgement. “Yes, this is more...intimate?”

“Intimate would be...a word to describe it.”

Before they fell into too much awkward silence, one of the chefs came out, carrying two dishes. As they placed them down, they told the pair that they'd made breaded salmon with roasted potatoes. Avery gave Ryan a surprised look as they lifted the covers off the dishes, only looking away to thank and dismiss the chef.

“Did you consult Jeremy about this?”

“I...maybe.” Ryan looked away, a hint of blush on his cheeks. “I figured he would know, since you two are so close.”

“Mm…” Avery watched as Ryan bowed his head and mumbled a silent prayer before starting to eat. “I didn't take you were a religious man.”

“Well, it's...I have to pay my respects. Don't you?”

They shrugged. “During ceremonies, yes. The gods know I respect them.” They cut a bite off of the salmon and ate it, sighing at the comfort of the familiar food. “Do you have anything like this in Miesia?”

“Grilled, yes.” Ryan paused to swallow. “I've never had breaded salmon, though. It's quite nice.”

“At least you understand why I like it.”

The majority of the meal was silent--Avery clearly wasn't one to talk during them, and Ryan didn't want to intrude. Unlike before, though, the silence was more comfortable. It started to feel...nice, unburdened by etiquette or their differences getting in the way.

_Maybe,_ Avery thought, _this won't be so bad._ “Are you staying for the Winter Solstice festivities, Ryan? I understand if you’ll be gone for your own people, but…”

Ryan waved a hand in dismissal. “No, ours around that time are much more subdued. I feel it will be interesting to see, and besides, it should be a nice send-off.”

Right, he is leaving just after then. “Well, I…” Avery stood up, pushing in their chair. “Thank you for this, Ryan. I mean that.”

He beamed, and Avery swore they saw Ryan’s eyes start to sparkle. “It was no trouble, Avery.” He gathered the dishes together and stood, handing them off to a nearby kitchen aide. “Thank you for accepting the invitation. I’ll leave you be.”

Before they knew it, Ryan had slipped back into the castle. For reasons they couldn’t explain, Avery wanted him back.

**Author's Note:**

> i might continue this if people wanna see more, so let me know by leaving a comment!


End file.
